Following manager Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he would be moving on from Anfield and Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, former midfielder Xabi Alonso was quickly installed as the media’s favourite to replace him, particularly in light of the phenomenal season he has been enjoying with German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.
However, towards the end of the March international break, the 42 year old former Spanish international midfielder (and Anfield favourite) confirmed that he had no intention of leaving his current club this summer, and sadly that has left us looking elsewhere for Klopp’s eventual replacement and for those who like a small flutter on their football, a 20bet bonus code, could come in handy if you wanted a punt at who that might be.
Earlier reports had linked us with Brighton and Hove Albion gaffer Roberto De Zerbi, and those claims spiked after our victory at the weekend given the praise that was shared by both managers following the game, but one strong contender seems to continue to be Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim.
Reports in Portugal have even gone as far as suggesting that the 39 year old, former Portuguese international, is now our Board’s Number 1 choice for the role, and moreover, that discussions are at a pretty advanced stage, with him ‘unlikely to resist’ an offer going in his direction from Merseyside.
However, it is said that he is refusing to make a firm decision on his future until the end of the campaign, but he is very aware of our interest in him.
Unnamed sources close to the manager suggest that he would further welcome any proposal from us, simply down to the passion of the fans, the fact we have already invested in training and the promotion of youth, and he feels he would be a natural fit for our desire to play attractive, attacking football.
It is a big week for Amorim though in Lisbon, they face Benfica twice in five days, with the first clash being the second leg of their Taca de Portugal semi final where they hold a 2-1 advantage. The clash later in the week is in the league, and Sporting are one point clear of fierce rivals Benfica and currently occupy top spot in the Primeira Liga table. Victory at the weekend would give them a major domestic advantage, as they also have a game in hand on Roger Schmidt’s side.
If Amorim is quietly entertaining a switch at the end of the year, should we present him with a firm offer, he will undoubtedly want to go out with a bang and if he can add two trophies to his record, there would be no better way of saying goodbye really.
Should he achieve that success, it would also go a long way in convincing more fans that he would be the right man to continue to move us forward.
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